In 1947, president Truman created the C.I.A. ostensibly to gather intelligence and--tacitly--to set bounds on J. Edgar Hoover's monstrous influence. Now in the 21st century, J. Edgar Hoover is dead and our C.I.A. is itself the monster. It trespasses on our Department of Defense by waging war in Pakistan, it trespasses on our Department of State by corrupting officials in Afghanistan and it trespasses on our Department of Justice by denying due process of law to citizens, some of whom haven't even been charged with a crime.

What president Truman made, president Obama should unmake. We need to shut the C.I.A. down and establish a Truth and Reconciliation Commission on the South African model. Amnesty for officers, agents and contractors of the C.I.A. willing to testify to its crimes and prison for those who are unwilling.

A C.I.A. above the law corrodes not only each American's liberties, but corrodes the legitimacy of our national government itself.